Scottish Executive

Alcohol Misuse

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in developing home alcohol detoxification services, as recommended in the Health Education Board for Scotland document, women and alcohol: report of an expert seminar .

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are for alcohol services to conduct assessments that include routine screening for psychiatric disorders, as recommended in the Health Education Board for Scotland document, women and alcohol: report of an expert seminar .

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to assess the implications of current high levels of drinking amongst young women and the development of problem drinking in later life, highlighted as a research priority in the Health Education Board for Scotland document, women and alcohol: report of an expert seminar .

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are to monitor the marketing strategies used by the drinks industry as recommended in the Health Education Board for Scotland document, women and alcohol: report of an expert seminar .

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether alcohol educational materials have been developed to target middle-aged and older women, as recommended in the Health Education Board for Scotland document, women and alcohol: report of an expert seminar .

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are to increase the number of outreach services to meet the particular needs of women with dependent children and who suffer from alcohol related problems, as recommended in the Health Education Board for Scotland document, women and alcohol: report of an expert seminar .

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive is currently consulting on a national Plan for Action on alcohol misuse which is to be published by the end of this year. The expert seminar Women and Alcohol  was funded by the Scottish Executive and we have noted the recommendations emerging from it. We will take these into account in developing the Plan for Action.

Anti-Social Neighbours

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what it can learn from Manchester City Council’s nuisance strategy group with regard to preventing anti-social behaviour on council estates.

Jackie Baillie: We will ask the Sociable Neighbourhood Champion, supported by the Executive and COSLA, to examine the lessons that can be learned from the specialist team in Manchester, as well as similar approaches elsewhere in Scotland and the UK.

Birds

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Forestry Commission has reviewed all existing consents, permissions or other authorisations with the potential to affect capercaillie in Natura 2000 sites under Regulation 50 of the Conservation (Natural Habitats &c) Regulations 1994 and, if not, what powers the Forestry Commission and Scottish Natural Heritage have to prevent action being taken on the basis of existing consents, permissions or other authorisations before they have been subject to such a review.

Rhona Brankin: The Forestry Commission is currently identifying all the existing Woodland Grant Schemes (WGS) and felling approvals granted during the last five years likely to have a significant effect on Natura 2000 sites. Where the proposed work might adversely affect capercaillie in a Natura 2000 site, the commission will discuss the proposals with the owners or managers of the land with a view to making specific arrangements for protecting capercaillie.

  Under the Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994 the Forestry Commission is required to have regard to the requirements of the Habitats Directive. In addition, all woodland owners are required to comply with the UK Forestry Standard which states that, when carrying out any forestry operations, owners must make specific arrangements for the protection of protected habitats and protected species of wildlife. Under the Environmental Impact Assessment (Forestry) (Scotland) Regulations 1999, forestry projects, such as afforestation and deforestation, which are likely to have significant effects on the environment can only proceed with the consent of the Forestry Commission. An environmental impact assessment of these projects is required.

  Consideration of existing WGS and felling approvals is the responsibility of the Forestry Commission as the competent authority and Scottish Natural Heritage have no powers in this respect. The Forestry Commission has no specific statutory powers to modify or revoke existing felling approvals. Nevertheless, if conditions specified in felling licences are not complied with in individual cases, the licence can be withdrawn.

Children

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the current position is on the possible appointment of a Children’s Commissioner.

Mr Jack McConnell: Following a suggestion from the Scottish Executive last year, the Parliament’s Education, Culture and Sport Committee is conducting an inquiry into the issue of a possible Children’s Commissioner in Scotland. The committee invited written evidence on 26 February.

  The Scottish Executive is sympathetic to the possibility of a Children’s Commissioner but would wish to be clear about the functions a Commissioner might have and the added value he or she might bring. We will wait for the committee to report before considering the issue further.

Civil Servants

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-12985 by Angus MacKay on 23 March 2001, whether it will provide details of the two new Scottish Executive posts created in Dumfries and Galloway since July 1999.

Angus MacKay: One post is within the Scottish Courts Service and is a new trainee position as a Sheriff Clerk Depute in Dumfries Sheriff Court. The other is an Agricultural Officer post in the Dumfries Area Office of the Rural Affairs Department, dealing with Agenda 2000 work.

Civil Servants

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-12985 by Angus MacKay on 23 March 2001, what criteria will be used in deciding the locations of the regional offices of the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care.

Malcolm Chisholm: I have indicated that we are looking for regional offices for the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care in the Inverness, Aberdeen, Paisley, Hamilton/East Kilbride and East Lothian areas, as well as in Dundee. The main criteria which will be used in deciding on specific locations will be cost, size and availability.

  I have also indicated that at the very least there will have to be resource centres in Orkney, Shetland, Western Isles, Argyll and Bute, Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway, the Borders and the Stirling area.

Civil Servants

Dr Winnie Ewing (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to increase the number of its staff located on Eilean Siar by relocating departments or parts thereof from Edinburgh and what discussions it has held with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and others regarding any such relocation.

Angus MacKay: The Executive has no current plans to relocate staff from Edinburgh to Eilean Siar. Discussions have been held with Highlands and Islands Enterprise about opportunities across their area, with the agreement of the local authorities concerned.

  Last December I announced to Parliament that detailed reviews of the Edinburgh operations of six public bodies would be undertaken to individual timetables based on lease breaks and other operational factors. The reviews will determine the most efficient and effective locations for the work concerned. No specific areas of Scotland will be targeted and equally no areas will be ruled out.

  I also announced at that time that the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care and the Scottish Social Services Council would not be located in Edinburgh. Mr Chisholm announced on 6 March that the national offices of these two new bodies will - if the Parliament passes the necessary legislation to enable them to be established - be located in Dundee. In addition there will be five further regional offices for the commission. The locations being considered are the Inverness area, the Aberdeen area, the Paisley area, the Hamilton/East Kilbride area and East Lothian. Decisions on regional offices for the commission will be announced shortly.

Deafblind People

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, in the light of the recent guidance to local authorities in England and Wales on social care for deafblind children and adults, what steps it is taking to ensure that a similar approach is adopted in relation to deafblind children and adults in Scotland.

Malcolm Chisholm: In 1998 the Scottish Executive published its Sensing Progress report which examined the planning, delivery, commissioning and management of social work services for people who had visual or hearing impairment or who were deafblind.

  Following a number of seminars, many local authorities took up the recommendations contained in the report. A check on the implementation of the recommendations will be made by the Executive this year to help secure better identification, assessment and services for deafblind children and adults and those with visual or hearing impairment.

Education

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what schemes for assisting teachers to purchase computers are presently in operation, what plans it has for continuing and developing such schemes and what take up there has been in terms of numbers and cost in the past twelve months.

Nicol Stephen: The Computers for Teachers scheme is operated by Learning and Teaching Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Executive. All GTC registered teachers in publicly funded primary and secondary schools, including publicly funded special schools and units, are eligible to apply for a rebate of £200 against the cost of a modern computer. The payment is a taxable benefit, but the Scottish Executive has made arrangements to settle the tax and National Insurance centrally. No liability will fall on the individual teachers.

  In the first phase of the scheme, which finished in March 2000, 4,003 teachers were supported at a total cost of £1,146,324.

  The second phase has just concluded and final payments are being made. 6,133 teachers have been supported in this phase, at an estimated cost of £1,711,979.

  A third phase is planned for the 2001-02 financial year.

Education

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council’s proposals for redistributing funding among institutions and subjects in its recent interim report on teaching funding are consistent with the Executive’s policy objectives, in particular those relating to the development of the knowledge economy.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC) issued a consultation paper with its proposals for teaching funding on 19 December and a further paper providing more information on 9 February. It has not issued an interim report on teaching funding. The consultation period has just concluded and the council is considering its proposals in the light of the response to this and the need to minimise disruption and deliver the Executive’s priorities. I have asked the council to keep me in touch with developments prior to any final decisions being taken.

  The teaching funding consultation paper included proposals for the introduction of premiums to institutions for students from under-represented groups and disabled students. SHEFC published its allocation for academic year 2001-02 at the end of March which will rise from £618 million this year to £673 million and included a 5% premium on teaching grant to improve the retention and progression of students from under-represented groups at a cost of over £3 million and £1 million to support disabled students. These are consistent with our priorities and will support the development of the knowledge economy.

  I also welcome the fact that the allocation includes a 4% increase on the units of funding for teaching and research, 1,000 additional funded places, an additional £10 million for science research infrastructure, an additional £2.1 million to improve IT infrastructure, £2.5 million to support the development of greater pervasiveness of ICT, and a recurrent stream of funding to support knowledge transfer including an additional £2 million for conversion of previous initiatives. All of these are consistent with the priorities of the Executive and will support the development of the knowledge economy.

Education

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much money it had in its budget for 2000-01 for reducing class sizes and how much of this has been spent.

Mr Jack McConnell: In 2000-01 the class size reduction programme within the Excellence Fund had a budget of £15.6 million. It was spent in full.

Employment

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-3176 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 22 March 2001, on what evidence the statement that "the policy is resulting in a fall in unemployment in East Ayrshire at three times the rate in the rest of Scotland" ( Official Report , col. 870) is based.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The claimant count unemployment rate for Scotland in February 2001 was 4.5%, showing a fall of 0.6% from the previous year. In East Ayrshire, the rate was 5.9%, showing a fall of 2.1% from the previous year.

Employment

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-11853 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 16 March 2001, how many additional jobs will have to be created in Glasgow before the employment rate of working age males rises from 65.2% to the Scottish average of 77.4% and over what time period it would be possible for this to be achieved.

Ms Wendy Alexander: To increase the male employment rate in Glasgow from 65.2% to 77.4%, an extra 24,000 men in Glasgow need to move into work. No forecasts for the number of male workers in Glasgow have been made by the Executive.

Employment

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the 1,000 reforming drug users assisted by the £6.5 million given to Scottish Drugs Forum have (a) gained employment and (b) stayed in the employment gained.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The funding commenced on 1 April 2001 and will be channelled through Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

Employment

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many employees in IT companies were made redundant in each of the last two years in (a) West Lothian, (b) Renfrewshire and (c) Scotland.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive does not collect data on local area redundancies by sector.

Enterprise

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many items of business regulation it intends to repeal in the coming financial year as a result of the "regulatory MOT" announced by the Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning on 15 February 2001.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The introduction of the Review Regulatory Impact Assessment (Review RIA), or "regulatory MOT", represents a significant step forward in securing for Scottish businesses the most effective regulatory environment. The Review RIA will ensure all regulations introduced by the Scottish Executive which impact on business will remain "fit-for-purpose". Requiring review of the regulation within 10 years of its introduction, it commits the Executive to reconsidering options, including repeal. The Executive would not wish to prejudice the success of this work by forcing arbitrary "quotas" for repeal on individual departments.

Environment

Cathy Peattie (Falkirk East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to review current emissions standards and, in particular, what steps it will take to monitor or restrict emissions of particles less than four microns in size.

Rhona Brankin: The air quality objectives set under the Air Quality Strategy are kept under a rolling review. Consideration is currently being given to whether it will be possible to set a more stringent objective for particles than the existing one for PM 10 . The Scottish Executive hopes to be in a position to consult on a new objective for particles this summer.

  The Expert Panel on Air Quality Standards (EPAQS) was set up in 1991 to advise the Government on air quality standards. As part of the current review of particles, the panel was asked to consider whether a different component of the particle mixture in air would be more appropriate for an air quality standard for the UK.

  The panel published a report entitled Airborne Particles: What is the appropriate measurement on which to base a standard? on 3 April 2001. The report can be viewed at:

  http://www.environment.detr.gov.uk/airq/aqs

  and copies are available from the Parliament’s Reference Centre). The panel concluded that the particle fraction PM10 remains the most appropriate. In doing so they noted that the health studies suggest that the toxic effects of particles are not limited to fine particles, but that bigger particles are also associated with effects. Measurement of PM10 allows the capture of both the fine and course fraction.

  However, the panel recommended that the development of a standard which better represents the toxic components of the particle mixture might be technically possible with further research. We have already introduced measurement of a wide range of particle metrics (including PM2.5, particle numbers, chemical composition and a trial on surface area measurements) into the national monitoring networks to support such studies in the future.

Exam Results

Ms Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the recent appeal results from the 2000 diet of Scottish Qualifications Authority exams were delivered as "pending".

Mr Jack McConnell: 3,785 (92%) results of the independent appeals review were sent to schools on 16 March. The remaining cases have required additional evidence to be gathered, or, in some cases, have not yet been through the normal appeals process. Since 16 March all except six cases have been concluded.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made on the implementation of conservation measures for the scallop fishing industry; whether the introduction of any such measures have been postponed and, if so, on how many occasions and for what reasons.

Rhona Brankin: The Executive will issue a draft Scottish Statutory Instrument on possible technical measures to protect scallop stocks for consultation immediately after the Easter recess. Our aim is a uniform and rational series of measures throughout the United Kingdom and we envisage other UK fisheries departments producing their own parallel legislation.

  Any implementation of agreed conservation measures will take place as soon as practicable after the end of the three-month consultation period.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many fishing vessels, broken down by sector, will be decommissioned under the £25 million decommissioning package recently announced.

Rhona Brankin: The information requested is not yet available.

  Details of the proposed decommissioning scheme, including targeting of the scheme and eligibility criteria, are still to be worked up in consultation with the fishing industry.

Flood Prevention

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to prepare detailed maps capable of being used to assess flood risks.

Rhona Brankin: The Scottish Environment Protection Agency already has indicative flood risk maps showing the main areas where flooding should be considered a possibility. The Executive has no plans to duplicate this work.

  The Executive is, however, considering ways in which the maps can be improved and the additional information that can be obtained from them.

Food

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to promote the establishment of self-sustaining community food co-operatives.

Jackie Baillie: The Scottish Executive supports and funds the Scottish Community Diet Project, which directly supports the establishment of community food co-operatives. In collaboration with other public and private sector partners, we are also setting up a new investment fund, Social Investment Scotland, to provide development advice and loan funding for social economy organisations. Food co-operatives are one of the types of social economy organisations which could benefit from the fund.

Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what contingency plans are in place to deal with any foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in South Lanarkshire.

Ross Finnie: Based on the action taken in Dumfries and Galloway and the results achieved, we are confident that a similar operation could be implemented should further outbreaks occur in any other part of Scotland. The aims and priorities for action would be as outlined in my statement of 5 April 2001 to the Parliament.

Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many livestock haulage businesses it estimates may have to cease trading in the absence of any immediate financial assistance and whether it will ensure that such assistance is made available.

Ross Finnie: I appreciate fully the impact which livestock movement restrictions and other foot-and-mouth disease controls are having on livestock hauliers’ businesses. The relaxation in controls which I referred to in my statement to the Parliament on 5 April should help these businesses recover. The financial impact of the foot-and-mouth disease on businesses generally is being assessed.

Health

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure the availability of core funding for community health projects and initiatives.

Malcolm Chisholm: A range of funding support is available, in recognition of the valuable contribution that community health projects and initiatives can make. Each year, as part of the Section 16B Grant Award Scheme, some £4 million is provided to voluntary sector local initiatives by health boards (in addition to the funding provided at national level by the Scottish Executive). Health boards have also been advised that their allocations from the new Health Improvement Fund should be invested in projects and services that have been discussed with local partner organisations, including voluntary/community agencies, and that those allocations may be invested through such partner organisations. A further £34.5 million is being made available from the lottery-supported New Opportunities Fund, to facilitate the creation of a network of Healthy Living Centres in communities across Scotland: the first four were announced by Susan Deacon last November and further successes have brought the total to 10.

Health

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase the number of people donating bone marrow.

Susan Deacon: Officials are liaising with colleagues in Department of Health in England over the setting up of workshops to look at ways of improving recruitment and broadening the range of ethnic groups currently on the registries. Representatives from the bone marrow registries will be included in the workshops.

Information Technology

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will produce statistics on the use of the internet by households since 1999, on a monthly and quarterly basis.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive gathers and publishes statistics on the use of the Internet by households as a part of the Scottish Household Survey. The most recent figures available for mid-2000 show 21.7% of households having access to the web from home. However, given the rapid growth of household access to the web the figures are likely to understate the percentage of households now connected to the web.

  Full figures from the Scottish Household Survey for 2000 will be published in September 2001. Figures are not available on a monthly basis. Quarterly figures are given in the table.

  


Percentage of Scottish households with access to the internet 
  from home by quarter 
  



Year 
  

Quarter 
  

Percentage of households with access to 
  the internet from home 
  



1999 
  

February-March 
  

11.7 
  






April-June 
  

12.9 
  






July-September 
  

14.5 
  






October-December 
  

17.7 
  



2000 
  

January-March 
  

21.1 
  






April-June 
  

21.7 
  



  Source: Scottish Household Survey.

Information Technology

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will produce statistics on the use of the internet by businesses since 1999, on a monthly and quarterly basis.

Ms Wendy Alexander: As part of their annual benchmarking exercise, Scottish Enterprise produces an ICT connectivity indicator that shows the proportion of companies using a website, e-mail and/or Electronic Data Interchange. Figures are currently available for 1998, 1999 and 2000. Neither the public resources nor the burden on businesses required to conduct this exercise on a monthly and quarterly basis could be justified.

  There are, however, other sources of e-commerce statistics available for Scotland. The Scottish Chambers of Commerce, for example, have recently added e-commerce questions to their quarterly surveys. In May, the Office for National Statistics is due to publish the results of a survey of interconnectivity and the level of sales over the internet, which will provide information at a regional level.

Joint Nature Conservation Committee

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what future role and function the Joint Nature Conservation Committee will have in Scotland in the light of the Stage 1 Report by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR), Review of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee 2001 , and how Scottish interests will be promoted if the committee is entirely funded and sponsored by the DETR as recommended in the report.

Rhona Brankin: No decisions have yet been taken on the future of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Whatever arrangements are finally reached will need to reflect Scottish circumstances, and Scottish ministers will be fully involved in the decision-taking.

Knowledge Economy

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it uses to benchmark its performance in creating a knowledge economy.

Ms Wendy Alexander: There is no accepted definition of the knowledge economy and this raises difficult conceptual and measurement issues.

  Scottish Executive officials are liaising with the Office of National Statistics, Scottish Enterprise and other bodies on the development of a number of indicators measuring the wide range of activities covered by the term knowledge economy.

  Information on some of these indicators was included in my written evidence to the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee investigation on the impact of the New Economy in Scotland. A copy of this evidence has been placed on the committee website:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/official_report/cttee/enter-01/elp01-05.pdf.

Legislation

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Lord Advocate has referred, or intends to refer, under section 33 of the Scotland Act 1998, section 1(1), which establishes a graduate endowment, of the Education (Graduate Endowment and Student Support) (Scotland) (No.2) Bill as passed by the Parliament on 29 March 2001 to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council for a decision on whether this provision is within the legislative competence of the Parliament.

Colin Boyd QC: No.

Local Government

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to introduce a statutory Best Value regime.

Peter Peacock: Yes. The Executive’s Programme for Government highlighted our intention to legislate for a duty of Best Value on local authorities. I intend to make further announcements regarding our proposals in this area following the Easter recess.

Mental Health

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what barriers exist to the uptake by 16- to 21-year-olds with mental health needs of statutory mental health services.

Malcolm Chisholm: Potential barriers to accessing mental health services by 16- to 21-year-olds with mental health needs can exist in various forms and for various reasons. In making mental health a priority, the Executive is committed to working on a variety of fronts with partner care agencies to tackle these issues, where they occur.

  Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change sets the context within which mental health services in Scotland will operate for the immediate future. The plan emphasises the importance of various initiatives, including the investment of £4 million over three years specifically to promote positive mental health and well-being; the development of a national suicide prevention framework, and implementation of the Framework for Mental Health Services, which as a blueprint for comprehensive mental health services, aims to ensure the provision of safe, responsive care and support services which meet individually assessed needs.

Ministerial Correspondence

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many letters it has received concerning the planned extension to Hyndland Primary School and how many it has replied to.

Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive received a total of 46 letters about the proposal to extend Hyndland Primary School. Of these, 29 did not receive a reply because they were in the form of a standard letter with no return address However, those standard letters which included the writer’s address did receive a reply.

Ministerial Correspondence

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Minister for Health and Community Care will reply to the letter of 26 February 2001 from Mr S Taylor of Sheildhill, Falkirk.

Susan Deacon: A Health Department official replied to Mr Taylor on 30 March.

Ministerial Responsibilities

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether ministerial responsibility for the water industry was offered to the Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning following the resignation of the Minister for Environment, Sport and Culture and, if so, what her response was.

Henry McLeish: I have nothing to add to what I said about this matter on Thursday 29 March ( Official Report ,  c ol. 1116-7).

Modernising Government

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14119 by Mr Peter Peacock on 26 March 2001, how many of the 22 projects being funded from the Modernising Government Fund and led by local authorities are being led by Dumfries and Galloway Council and how much funding any such projects will receive.

Peter Peacock: Dumfries and Galloway Council will lead one of the Modernising Government Fund projects. The council made a bid for £72,000 from the fund to pilot, test and evaluate the use of kiosks in delivering information services to places that are not served by a high bandwidth telecommunications infrastructure. The council project has been fully funded.

  The kiosks are based upon a product provided by "StartHere". The support from the fund will allow the council to cover the costs of the kiosks and to provide additional content relating to services in the Dumfries and Galloway area.

  In addition to the agreed funding for the council project, the Scottish Executive will provide additional funds to support the development of national content for the "StartHere" kiosks. Initial discussions have taken place with the council to determine what this content should be, and how much additional support will be necessary.

  The council will provide progress reports on the project for the Executive’s 21st Century Government website and will carry out an assessment of the project to determine its suitability for other parts of the public sector and across Scotland.

Planning

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what instructions or guidance it has issued or plans to issue to local authorities to streamline and manage development plans in the light of the Research Paper 1998/50, Review of Development Planning in Scotland , by Hillier Parker, Dundas & Wilson.

Lewis Macdonald: The revised NPPG 1: The Planning System ,   published in November 2000, includes guidance on the need for brevity, clarity and precision when preparing development plans and on the importance of managing the process of the preparation of plans more efficiently. It also encourages planning authorities to set and publish demanding timetables for the preparation of plans, and gives examples of what those timetables should be. This guidance echoes a number of the research recommendations.

  The researchers’ emphasis on the need for better management of the process is also reflected in the shift in focus of the work of the Scottish Executive Planning Audit Unit (PAU) from development control to development planning. The PAU has carried out pilot audits of three planning authorities’ development plan procedures, to identify best practice and changes that might be made to improve procedures. An overview of preliminary findings is contained in the Third Annual Report of the Planning Audit Unit, which was published on 30 March and copies are available from the Parliament’s Reference Centre. The findings will be fed into the current review of strategic planning. Consultation will take place this summer on the review.

Police

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-13777 by Mr Jim Wallace on 15 March 2001, why the capital allocation to Strathclyde Police fell from £9.732 million in 1999-2000 to £9.076 million in 2000-01 and whether this has had any impact on the operational performance of Strathclyde Police.

Mr Jim Wallace: Capital allocations are designed to meet both routine expenditure (such as maintenance and the replacement of vehicles) and the cost of large projects.

  Strathclyde’s allocation for 1999-2000 included £3.528 million for major work at the Saltcoats and Kirkintilloch stations as well as Phase 3 of the force’s Traffic Complex. In addition, the force received £1.060 million to help with millennium compliance costs, leaving £5.144 million for routine expenditure.

  In 2000-01, £3 million was set aside for the completion of Phase 3 of the Traffic Complex, leaving £6.076 million for routine capital expenditure, an increase of over 18% on the previous year’s figure for similar costs. The allocation of resources is an operational matter for the Chief Constable, in consultation with the Joint Police Board, to decide upon. Given the increase in resources for routine expenditure, however, any impact on operational performance is likely to have been beneficial.

Pre-School Education

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many and what percentage of children in Clydesdale took up a pre-school nursery place in (a) 1996-97, (b) 1997-98, (c) 1998-99, (d) 1999-2000 and (e) 2000-01.

Nicol Stephen: Information on the number of children attending pre-school education is not available on a constituency basis. However, the number and percentage of children receiving publicly funded pre-school education in South Lanarkshire Council area in the spring term of (a) 1996-97, (b) 1997-98, (c) 1998-99, (d) 1999-2000 and (e) 2000-01 are shown in the table.

  Number and Percentage of Eligible 3- & 4-Year-Olds Attending a Publicly Funded Pre-school Education Place in South Lanarkshire Council

  


School Year 
  

3-Year-Olds 
  

4-Year-Olds 
  



(a) 1996-97 
  

N/A 
  

N/A 
  



(b) 1997-98 
  

N/A 
  

3,518 (93.8%) 
  



(c) 1998-99 
  

N/A 
  

3,287 (88.6%) 
  



(d) 1999-2000 
  

1,778 (49.6%) 
  

3,436 (97.3%) 
  



(e) 2000-01 
  

2,270 (61.9%) 
  

3,457 (99.2%)

Prescription Charges

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will allow payments for prescription season tickets to be spread over the course of a year.

Susan Deacon: We have no plans to do so.

  Prescription pre-payment certificates (PPCs) are available to cover periods of either 12 months or four months. We recognise that people who have difficulty in paying for the annual prescription season ticket may prefer to use the four-monthly PPC, which also offers savings.

Renewable Energy

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to exclude energy from waste from renewable energy funding in the light of the majority of the responses to the consultation exercise on the Scottish Renewables Order objecting to its inclusion and given the position in England and Wales.

Rhona Brankin: A final decision on the technologies to be included within the Renewables Obligation (Scotland) has not yet been taken. We will consider the options carefully in the light of responses to the recent consultation paper, and in the light of the various energy from waste technologies available, and an announcement will be made in due course.

Renewable Energy

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the exclusion of energy from waste from the Scottish Renewables Order would reduce the achievability of its target for electricity from renewable sources by 2010.

Rhona Brankin: The achievement of our renewable energy target for 2010 under the Renewables Obligation (Scotland) will be dependent on many factors, of which the inclusion or otherwise of any particular technology will be only one.

Residential Care

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-13289 by Malcolm Chisholm on 26 February 2001, why the number of places available in residential care homes have fallen from 16,677 in 1998 to 15,851 in 2000.

Malcolm Chisholm: That is likely to have been the result of a wide variety of factors, including population structure, health condition of older people, availability of alternative forms of accommodation and other factors affecting demand for and availability of places.

Residential Care

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-13289 by Malcolm Chisholm on 26 February 2001, why the number of beds in private nursing homes has fallen from 23,838 in 1998 to 22,950 in 2000.

Malcolm Chisholm: As indicated in footnote 2 to the table provided in the answer given to question S1W-13289, part of the apparent change may be due to incomplete returns. It may also be due to a wide variety of factors including population structure, health condition of older people, availability of alternative forms of accommodation and other factors affecting demand for and availability of places.

Roads

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the plans for the proposed improvements to the A82 Dumbuck junction will be made available for public inspection.

Sarah Boyack: The A82 Dumbuck Junction scheme is programmed for design in 2002-03. Plans will be subject to public consultation prior to construction in 2003-04.

Scotland House

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much inward investment has been attracted to Scotland directly as a result of the activities of Scotland House in Brussels.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Scotland House has a critical role in representing and promoting Scotland in a wide range of interests. It is not in itself directly responsible for inward investment projects although it continues to offer support and assistance to Locate in Scotland in this regard. As of September 2000, Locate in Scotland has run its field operations for France and Benelux from an office in Scotland House.

Scotland House

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much additional tourist revenue has been generated as a result of the activities of Scotland House in Brussels.

Mr Alasdair Morrison: No estimates are available of the additional tourist revenue generated directly by Scotland House.

  Scotland House is an inclusive body that involves a range of interests. Its principal components are the Scottish Executive EU Office (SEEUO) and Scotland Europa, which in turn houses a number of its subscribers. Scotland House does not have direct responsibility for generating additional tourist revenue. Most of the bodies located in Scotland House have the following functions in common:

  Maintaining close contact with key people in the EU institutions, including the Scottish MEPs

  Following the European legislative process and highlighting issues of relevance to Scotland

  Sharing information and resources between the Scotland House residents as appropriate

  Increasing the range and depth of information on EU affairs flowing back to Scottish bodies – including visitscotland

  Advising Scottish bodies about EU procedures and how to become more involved – including the highlighting of Scottish best practice in Europe.

  Scotland House is also active in raising Scotland’s profile in the EU. This has included some tourism aspects, namely:

  visitscotland promoted a travel offer between Scotland and the Benelux countries to coincide with the October 1999 Scotland Week organised by Scotland House

  Scotland House has supported a number of festivals/events celebrating links between the Low Countries and Scotland and also supported tourism to Scotland

  Scotland House recently organised a cultural tourism seminar examining other European approaches to cultural tourism with a view to developing further the Scottish approach

  Literature from visitscotland is prominently displayed in Scotland House for all visitors and enquiries.

  In addition, visitscotland is a member of Scotland Europa and both it and the Tourism Cluster Group of Scottish Enterprise are alerted to all EU opportunities and developments by Scottish Enterprise International Operations.

Scottish Executive Contracts

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will encourage or direct public sector bodies to source suppliers from Constructionline registered companies.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive actively encourages purchasers in its departments and executive agencies, and in non-departmental public bodies and NHS organisations in Scotland to use Constructionline when sourcing contractors and suppliers of professional services. During the first half of 2000 the Executive worked with Constructionline in the presentation of seminars to existing users and other public sector bodies to encourage the wider use of the register. The Executive is a member of the Constructionline Scottish Advisory Committee.

Scottish Executive Websites

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many times its website and those of its agencies have been (a) accessed by unauthorised sources and (b) altered by such sources.

Angus MacKay: The Scottish Executive website was accessed by an unauthorised source on 8 September 1999 and the homepage was defaced. There have been no incidents since then. The website of the National Archives of Scotland was accessed by an unauthorised source on 21 March 2001 and the homepage was defaced. The websites of other Executive Agencies have not been accessed or altered by unauthorised sources.

Telecommunications

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which geographic areas will not be included in the first wave of broadband technology.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Infrastructure may allow the technical possibility of broadband connections but companies can be expected to provide connections and services according to the likely level of demand and return on investment. This has tended to favour urban areas.

  We are currently investigating how the aggregation of public sector demand for broadband could stimulate wider supply by the industry. As well as identifying public sector demand, we are considering whether different procurement strategies for public sector services could improve general access to broadband.

Tourism

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it plans to have to encourage East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Inverclyde and North Lanarkshire Councils to make a contribution towards the funding of the Greater Glasgow and Clyde Valley Tourist Board.

Mr Alasdair Morrison: None. The powers of local authorities to fund area tourist boards are discretionary. It is for these councils to decide whether or not to contribute to the funding of Greater Glasgow and Clyde Valley Tourist Board. Scottish ministers have no powers to intervene.

Tourism

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will encourage local authorities to make appropriate contributions towards the funding of their local area tourist boards.

Mr Alasdair Morrison: No. Local authority powers to fund area tourist boards (ATBs) are discretionary. It is for councils to decide the level of support that they provide to ATBs. We are, however, monitoring local authority funding decisions.

Transport

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many vehicles in its fleet have the ability to use liquid petroleum gas fuel.

Angus MacKay: There are 83 cars within the Scottish Executive vehicle fleet which can operate on either liquid petroleum gas or unleaded petrol. In addition, the Scottish Executive has two electric cars for use on short journeys in the Edinburgh area.

Transport

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many vehicles have been converted to date for liquid petroleum gas fuel use in the health service.

Susan Deacon: The information is not available centrally in the detail requested.

Transport

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many vehicles have been converted to date for liquid petroleum gas fuel use in the police force.

Mr Jim Wallace: This information is not held centrally.

Transport

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many vehicles have been converted to date for liquid petroleum gas fuel use in the ambulance service.

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Ambulance Service has looked at the possibility of such a fuel conversion for their fleet of vehicles and decided that it is not feasible.

Waste Management

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what subsidies have been given, and from what sources, for municipal waste incineration in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Rhona Brankin: We make no direct subsidy for municipal waste incineration. However, under the Scottish Renewables Obligation (SRO), there is a subsidy towards the cost of electricity generated by a SRO project. The only SRO energy-from-waste plant in operation in Scotland is at Baldovie in Dundee. For reasons of commercial confidentiality, we cannot provide detailed information in the form of the breakdown required.

  Level Playing Field Support, however, has been provided over the past two years to Dundee City Council for the Baldovie energy-from-waste Public/Private Partnership project. The provision was £0.8 million in 1999-2000 and £2.3 million in the current year. Support will be provided at the current year’s level over 25 years.

  The general local government finance settlement allocations do not include any specific provision for waste incineration. It is for councils to consider their expenditure priorities.

Waste Management

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive how and where ash from municipal waste incinerators closed since 1990 was disposed of.

Rhona Brankin: This is a matter for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. The information requested is not held centrally.

Waste Management

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive how many breaches of the authorised limits have been reported from each municipal waste incinerator in each year since 1990 and whether it will provide details of each breach.

Rhona Brankin: This is a matter for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. The information requested is not held centrally.

Waste Management

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to amend the definition of recycling to exclude ash from municipal waste incinerators, in line with the National Waste Strategy for England and Wales, and, if it does, when the definition will be amended.

Rhona Brankin: The definition of recycling, for the purpose of setting targets, is being considered by the Recycling Targets Group which has been established by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and is made up of representatives from SEPA, the Scottish Executive, COSLA, local authorities and Recycling Market Development Scotland (REMADE). A consultation paper will be issued to local authorities in the next few weeks and a final report issued later in the year.

Young People

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what response it will make to the findings of the report by The Prince’s Trust, It’s Like That , in particular regarding the feelings of alienation amongst young people, including offenders and the unemployed, and how it will ensure that it is responsive to the needs and concerns of such young people.

Nicol Stephen: Prince’s Trust representatives in Scotland have been invited to make a presentation to Executive officials on the report which raises some important and challenging issues. Many of its findings are relevant to current policy initiatives or developments affecting young people, including direct and customised consultation with young people.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Scottish Parliament Staff

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer how many vacant posts there currently are in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Sir David Steel: The Scottish Parliament Information Centre has a complement of 41 posts, seven of which are vacant as at 17th April 2001. Candidates have been appointed to four of these posts; the recruitment process is under way to fill a further two posts; the remaining vacancy is a result of temporary promotion, and is currently filled by a temporary member of staff.

Scottish Parliament Staff

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer how many vacant posts within the Scottish Parliament Information Centre involve work in the subject areas of land, environment, ecology, agriculture and animal experiments.

Sir David Steel: Researchers within the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) each have responsibility for providing research services across a range of subject areas. These 18 subject specialists currently work in pairs, with each pair covering one of the following portfolios: civil law & parliament; economic development & lifelong learning; education, family law & the arts; environment & transport; health & public finance; housing, planning & social inclusion; law and order & legal aid; local government, social work & voluntary sector; rural affairs & conservation. The research service is in the process of restructuring into teams of four or five researchers covering wider subject portfolios. This will provide a greater degree of flexibility and enable staff to cope with vacancies and other unanticipated demands.

  The Senior Research Specialist covering the rural affairs & conservation portfolio began a two-year secondment to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency in November 2000. A replacement to cover this secondment period started work with SPICe on 17th April 2001. Included within this portfolio are the subjects of land, ecology, agriculture and animal experiments.

  There are currently two vacant Senior Research Specialist posts, covering the portfolios of transport & the environment and education, family law & the arts. When a vacancy exists relating to a particular portfolio, a designated Research Specialist, with assistance from SPICe colleagues, takes responsibility for providing research services relating to that portfolio until the post is filled.

  An updated edition of Who Does What in SPICe for spring 2001 is now available on the Parliament’s intranet. This provides guidance to MSPs and their researchers as to whom they should approach if they have a particular enquiry.

Scottish Parliament Staff

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliament Information Centre is adequately staffed and which subject areas do not have an assigned researcher.

Sir David Steel: The Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) has a complement of 41 posts. This includes 20 staff in the information services team (which includes reference, resources and document supply services) and 20 in the research team, 18 of whom are responsible for specific subjects across the range of areas devolved to the Parliament.

  The priority for SPICe researchers is to provide research support to the Parliament’s committees. This includes general advice and support in the work of each committee, specific SPICe briefings and on occasion the commissioning of external research. SPICe researchers also prepare briefings on Bills and in relation to key parliamentary debates. They also respond to enquiries from individual MSPs, and provide research support to other areas of the Parliament. Currently there are no devolved subject areas that do not have at least one designated researcher. Information and briefing on reserved matters is provided at a reference level, and there are no researchers assigned to reserved areas.

  Full details of SPICe services are available on the Parliament’s intranet.